Lions, Tigers, Bears on the Loose in Ohio (Zanesville: earthquake, living)

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by lizzyst

I'd like to send a letter of disapproval to the county or state offices that regulate animal preserves in the State of Ohio; also, to whomever supervises Sheriff Lutz to express outrage of his handling of this fiasco. Any help from Ohioans as to addresses, phone numbers?

maybe you might want to start with Alabama which does not regulate exotics such as lions and tigers either...

Summary of Alabama Law: No person, firm, corporation, partnership or association may possess, sell, offer for sale, import or cause to be brought or imported into the state the following fish or animals: fish from the genus Clarias; fish from the genus Serrasalmus; Black carp; any species of mongoose, any member of the family Cervidae (deer, elk, moose, caribou), species of coyote, fox, raccoon, skunk, wild rodents or wild turkey. However, there are no requirements for a person possessing exotic animals, such as lions, tigers, monkeys, etc.


Reported: Feb 11, 2008
Location: DeKalb, Alabama
Three exotic cats, including a mountain lion, African lion, and tiger found in the backyard of a home in Winfield were confiscated and turned over to an exotic animal shelter. A humane society investigator was on a call about a cruelty case involving a monkey when the cats were discovered.

Reported: Dec 01, 2005
Location: Foley, Alabama
A healthy 2-year-old Bengal tiger at the Kids Country Zoo was euthanized and stuffed and mounted for display at the zoo. Several individuals offered to take the tiger rather than see it put down, including Tiger Haven in Tennessee, Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, and a facility in Texas, but the zoo's owner said the tiger was dangerous and opted to administer a lethal injection of medication instead. The Baldwin County District Attorney launched an investigation.

Reported: Oct 12, 2004
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
A 5-year-old boy was bitten by his family’s "pet" wolf. The boy survived attack but wolf was killed.

Reported: Sep 28, 2003
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
A "pet" timber wolf bit an 8-year-old child on the left calf.

Reported: Jan 31, 2003
Location: Choctaw County, Alabama
A deer gored a 79-year-old man to death while the man was working on a fence. The deer was the man’s "pet."

Reported: Sep 28, 2000
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Two lions escaped from a farm and killed several animals. Both lions were subsequently killed.

Reported: May 20, 2000
Location: Madison, Alabama
A 15 year-old boy sustained a bite on his left index finger from his “pet” copperhead snake. The youth was taken to the hospital for treatment and subsequently released. Several pythons, boas, an alligator, and a South American Crocodile are found in the youth's room at his home.

[jbcmh81]

I think I feel most badly for (besides the animals) Jack Hanna. In the videos, you can tell he's visibly very upset. Constantly shaking his head in disbelief and anger, and at times it's almost like he's on the verge of tears. You can tell he truly loves animals and is devastated by this tragedy. I think it's killing him to have come out saying it was necessary to kill them.

If there's any good news to come out of this, it looks like legislation is already being proposed to make sure this situation doesn't happen again. Shame it took an event like this to get Ohio into the 21st century.

[3DogNight]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

I think I feel most badly for (besides the animals) Jack Hanna. In the videos, you can tell he's visibly very upset. Constantly shaking his head in disbelief and anger, and at times it's almost like he's on the verge of tears. You can tell he truly loves animals and is devastated by this tragedy. I think it's killing him to have come out saying it was necessary to kill them.

If I see him cry, he won't be crying alone. I'm gonna cry too.

The ONLY voice with any thread of authority, knowledge and understanding on the subject and only under his direction would I shoot anything.

[lizzyst]

Thank you for your detailed response; however, none of the incidents you cited caused the large scale carnage that happened in Ohio, resulting in worldwide media coverage. I will look further for answer to my reasonable question.

[lizzyst]

Originally Posted by 3DogNight

I can offer you a suggestion as a non-Ohioan if you are not one also though: something I have employed when I am not a resident of a state that has decided that egregious behavior is not only tolerable but actively ignored...write as a potential vacationer or visitor or future guest of that state. Or if you are a past visitor, state how the recent behavior of local officials have made it an unappealing place to visit, or how threatened you feel for your personal safety when people as unbalanced as that Howard Hughes wannabe are permitted to 1. hoard guns (which were eventually seized for what reason I'm not sure) or 2. hoard large, dangerous, wild animals.

Oh, and cc the governor of the state. That usually gets their attention.

Just a thought.

Thank you so much; it's somewhere to start--I doubt I would get far with the sheriff's office to tell the truth (that was as far as my research had taken me), maybe the CofC or someone on the Governor's staff would be receptive. Also, speaking as a potential visitor, as someone else suggested, might be the tack to take! I'm sure many of the good people in Ohio realize how this will or already has impacted outsiders' opinion of the entire state.

[3DogNight]

I'm the one that said talk like a visitor lost!

You're going to have an uphill battle.

This one is a lifelong cop, who pretty much took his father's place in the sheriff's department and then rose to office. Talk about good ole boys club...holy sheee--ugar. Sheriff Matthew J. Lutz - Muskingum County Sheriff's Office

He was elected to boot. Blame Ohioans! I am still looking for his direct supervisor.

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by lizzyst

I'm sure many of the good people in Ohio realize how this will or already has impacted outsiders' opinion of the entire state.

You mean narrow-minded outsiders. I'm not a resident of Ohio.

[lizzyst]

Originally Posted by 3DogNight

I'm the one that said talk like a visitor lost!

You're going to have an uphill battle.

This one is a lifelong cop, who pretty much took his father's place in the sheriff's department and then rose to office. Talk about good ole boys club...holy sheee--ugar. Sheriff Matthew J. Lutz - Muskingum County Sheriff's Office

He was elected to boot. Blame Ohioans! I am still looking for his direct supervisor.

I'm sorry I answered the wrong post; thank you for your kind suggestions--this is the first time I've ever responded on this forum, although I've lurked for a long time. Never felt the need to before! My apologies again--

[yayoi]

Originally Posted by RedJacket

You mean narrow-minded outsiders. I'm not a resident of Ohio.

And quite frankly I would rather for those types of people to stay away.

[PoppySead]

Originally Posted by abr7rmj

I'll agree with 3DogNight. If caring for animals, defending their interests in the face of overzealous cops and wanting extra protection for endangered species makes me looney, I guess I am.

Yes, I care about animals and the natural environment. I guarantee that future generations of people who aren't yet born wish more people today had similar care for this planet and its species.

Well I'm glad you care and you should, you are one of the animals that live in this environment, on this planet. I guess you can pick a fav to protect instead of your own but I look at it this way, if a wild boar was approaching a den full of Tigers you better bet that Tiger would aim to kill it, not relocate it so I guess I care about the animals on this planet as well, I just admit my own species comes first as it would in nature for any of them. Be careful using the word "nature", it applies to humans as well. We also defend ourselves just like the rest of them, we aren't as infallible as you think and not that far removed this planet.
They had to go down, that is the law of nature, kill or be killed. We survive because of this, all species survive or don't because of this. Believe me we are the only species that are kind enough to spare a life when we can, I don't believe this was the case here, they had no choice. You need to get over it.

You sound more overzealous and looney than the cops to me, you aren't defending anything you're just over analyzing from your couch. Now if you really want to protect some habitat go on out to the woods and pick up some trash, but be careful of the bears they won't relocate you back to your home. Nothing you can do about what's already happened, it happened already. I guarantee the earthquake and Tsunami is a better place to go and help out, more animals over there calling your name that you can still do something about. This is a very small event compared to the many out there that could use your attention. The fact that anybody not living in Ohio has anything to say except "thank goodness nobody got hurt" is beyond me.